This teacher's guide is designed to provide science teachers with the necessary guidance and suggestions for teaching organic chemistry. In this book, the diverse field of organic chemistry modules is introduced. The material in this book can be integrated with the other modules in a sequence that helps students to see that chemistry is a unified…

This teacher's guide is designed to provide science teachers with the necessary guidance and suggestions for teaching physical chemistry. The material in this book can be integrated with the other modules in a sequence that helps students see that chemistry is a unified science. Contents include: (1) "Introduction of Physical Chemistry"; (2) "The…

This study characterizes the inscriptional practices demonstrated by 7th graders, particularly their use of data tables and graphs, in an inquiry-based learning environment. Drawing on a naturalistic approach, we examined two seventh grade classes during an eight-month instructional unit that emphasized water quality and relevant concepts. We…

This paper suggests that self-evaluation should be a significant component of teachers' daily work, presenting a model of systematic self-evaluation to help teachers generate classroom solutions through self-study (thus leading them to more complex forms of classroom inquiry). After a historical and theoretical perspective, the paper proposes a…

The NASA CONNECT series features 30-minute, instructional videos for students in grades 5-8 and teacher's guides that use aeronautics and space technology as the organizing theme. In this guide and videotape, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) researchers and scientists use measurement, ratios, and graphing to demonstrate the…

Longitudinal research is needed to investigate the effect of science teacher education programs. The impact of the program may not be evident until two or three years after the experience. This type of research can also assist in planning interventions and professional growth opportunities. Universities often do not take responsibility for…

Many hands-on activities are just demonstrations in which students handle materials to illustrate concepts. These activities may initially capture students' attention, however, many of the activities are either so highly structured that they minimize exploration or are so loosely structured that they minimize conceptual understanding. To maximize…

A recent report, "Educating Democracy: State Standards to Ensure a Civic Core," was issued by the Albert Shanker Institute of the American Federation of Teachers. This report comparatively analyzes and evaluates the standards for the teaching and learning of civics which state-level departments of education in the United States have…

In light of improving standards in education, some countries are going through major changes in their education systems. At the core of these movements lies the paradigm of changes in education. In the last two decades, constructivism became increasingly popular as a referent for professional actions in education. Under this constructivist…

This paper reports a study involving the construction and validation of a learning environment questionnaire that was used by both kindergarten students and their parents. Although the questionnaires were validated for use with five- and six-year old kindergarten students, the same format was used for both parents and students. Prior learning…

This curriculum unit consists of four lessons that are designed to broaden students' understanding of art and culture; each lesson can stand alone or be used in conjunction with the others. The introduction offers a conceptual framework of the Artworlds unit, which takes an inquiry-based approach. The unit's first lesson, "Worlds within…

This paper presents the results of a research project based on the Understandings of Consequence Project. This study motivated students to engage in inquiry in science classrooms. The complexity of the models is divided into four categories--underlying causality, relational causality, probabilistic causality, and emergent causality--and provides…

The purpose of this study was to investigate what effect an inquiry focused environmental science course has on preservice teachers' environmental attitudes. Over a three semester period preservice elementary education students taking an environmental science course, which incorporated inquiry strategies along with national recommendations in…

An enhancement program was implemented whose overall goal was to improve the teaching of life science and biology as an inquiry-oriented and socially relevant discipline in rural Minnesota schools. Teams of elementary, middle, and high school teachers from selected districts spent 6 weeks in a residential workshop program during the summer,…

This book provides guidance to beginning and experienced educational material developers. The targeted objectives are guiding developers on external funding, explaining the complex process of developing instructional materials, and pointing out the human interactions and issues involved in the development process. Chapters include: (1) "The…